Device for controlling an actuator in particular for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A device for controlling actuator includes a monitor for monitoring ( 1 ) the actuators ( 2 ) and a set of conductors ( 3,9 ) connected to the monitoring ( 1 ). The device includes a single physical support ( 5 ) for at least part of the monitoring ( 1 ) and the conductors ( 3,9 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an actuator control device and a heating,ventilating and/or air-conditioning device, especially for a vehicle,comprising such a control device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

However, although more particularly intended for such applications, itcould also be used in all the sectors of economic activity in whichthere is a need to control actuators.

Currently, in the field of heating, ventilation and/or air-conditioning,it is known to use flaps and/or fans making it possible to adjust thetemperature and/or the throughput of an airflow. The movements of theseitems are controlled by actuators such as electric-motor and step-downgear assemblies. The operation of these assemblies is determined on thebasis of a power-supply voltage the level of which is made variable. Todo that, drive means are used, which make it possible to adjust thevoltage as a function of set-point values and/or of values originatingfrom sensors via feedback loops.

Another mode of operation of these actuators is based on controls of the“stepper” type, and the drive means then drive by successive pulses, thenumber of which is determined by a computer in response to set-pointvalues and/or values from sensors via feedback loops.

At the present time, the wiring between these various components istaken from point to point, and it can be imagined that such a solutionrequires a large number of cables, which complicates their assembly andincreases their cost.

In particular, it requires a large number of different anchor points tobe provided for each of the cables and it entails a multiplication ofthe connections to be formed.

The reliability of the corresponding circuits remains inadequate,moreover.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to propose an actuator controldevice and a heating, ventilating and/or air-conditioning device,especially for a vehicle, comprising such a control device whichovercome the above-mentioned drawbacks and the wiring of which issimplified.

Another object of the present invention is to propose an actuatorcontrol device and a heating, ventilating and/or air-conditioningdevice, especially for a vehicle, which are ready to fit duringassembly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will emerge in the courseof the description which will follow, which is given only by way ofindication and is not for the purpose of limiting it.

The invention relates to an actuator control device comprising means fordriving the said actuators and a set of conductors linked to the saiddrive means, characterised in that the said device comprises a singlemeans for physical support of at least some of the said drive means andof the said conductors.

The invention also relates to a heating, ventilating and/orair-conditioning device, especially for a vehicle, comprising such acontrol device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood on reading the followingdescription, accompanied by the drawings in the annex which form anintegral part of it, and among which:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates, in section, a first exampleembodiment of the control device in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates, in perspective, a second exampleembodiment of the control device in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates, partially and in section, a thirdexample embodiment of the control device in accordance with theinvention,

FIG. 4 illustrates, in cross section, an example embodiment of theheating, ventilating and/or air-conditioning device in accordance withthe invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention first of all relates to an actuator control device. Asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, it comprises means 1 for driving the saidactuators 2 and a set of conductors 3, 9, linked to the said drive means1, especially for distributing information to them.

By “actuators” is understood any member making it possible to convertinput energy, especially electrical energy, into mechanical outputenergy so as to be able to set another member into motion. Thistherefore covers, for example, an electric motor, possibly combined withstep-down gears, which are intended to cause flaps 4 to pivot and/or tocause fans to turn.

The said drive means especially make it possible, from a given voltage,originating, for example, from the battery of a vehicle, to convert thevoltage into an output voltage the level of which is variable,especially on the basis of regulation information conveying set-pointvalues and/or values originating from sensors via feedback loops. In thecase of “stepper” systems, the voltage will be converted into a seriesof electrical pulses corresponding to an angular step of the actuator.

By way of example, the said drive means 1 could consist, especially, ofchangeover switches, of stepper-motor control systems and/or ofpower-varying devices, such as those with transistors mounted either inballast mode or in chopper mode.

By “regulation information” is meant information making it possible toinfluence the mode of operation of the drive means, for example, bydetermining the level of their output voltage or by determining thenumber of pulses. This especially covers a current controlling theopening/closing of a changeover switch, the operation of a chopper orothers. It could also cover analog information, as well as digitalinformation. The content of it could be determined by processing meansto which we will return later on.

According to the invention, the said device comprises a single means 5for physical support of at least some of the said drive-means 1 and ofthe said conductors 3.

By thus taking advantage of a single support, the wiring and theanchoring are facilitated. Moreover, the connections between the saiddrive means and the said conductors can be formed beforehand; it ispossible to make available a solution which is ready for use.

The said conductors 3, provided on the said support means 5 define, forexample, at least one network on which the said regulation informationflows in multiplexed form to the said drive means 1. Such a solutionmakes it possible further to simplify the wiring since the set-pointcommands and/or the values originating from the feedback loops no longerhave to be routed to each of the drive means 1 involved.

The said information-circulation network is designed to be able,especially, to be connected to the outside, for example to anothernetwork, by means of a single connection means 6 provided on the saidsupport means 5.

In order to route the multiplexed regulation information to the drivemeans 1 involved, the network in accordance with the invention furthercomprises routing means 7, provided, for example, on the said supportmeans 5. They particularly allow the information to circulate on thesaid conductors 3 of the network, either in ring mode or in star mode,or in stages or otherwise, by virtue of different electronic nodes. Thelatter are integrated into the said drive means 1, the said connectionmeans 6 or other means, as appropriate.

According to a first embodiment, the regulation information isdetermined by external processing means and is forwarded, ready to beacted on by the said drive means 1, to the said network of the controldevice in accordance with the invention, especially by way of the saidconnection means 6, the role of the said network then being mainly tocarry out the routing.

According to another embodiment, the said processing means, identifiedas 8, are provided at the level of the said network of the controldevice. The input information for the said processing means, such asset-point levels and/or values originating from feedback loops, couldthen be supplied to the control device in accordance with the inventioneither in multiplexed form, or point to point, especially at the levelof the said connection means 6. According to such an embodiment, all orsome of the said routing means are integrated into the said processingmeans 8. The latter are provided on the said support means 5, forexample.

That being so, the said conductors 9 provided on the said support means5 could also make it possible, cumulatively or alternatively, to supplypower to all or some of the said drive means 1.

In the case of an actuator requiring high power, the conductors forsupplying power to it are provided separately, if appropriate.

The single said connection means 6 could, moreover, be designed to beable to make it possible to link the said power-supply conductors 9 toan external power-supply source.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, each drive means 1 is connected, for example,to two said power-supply conductors 9 and to one said multiplexedconductor 3 of the said network; originating directly or otherwise fromthe said connection means 6 and/or from the said processing means 8.They are, in particular, arranged parallel to one another.

As regards the said power-supply conductors 9, they are mounted, forexample, branched off from the said connection means 6.

The said support means 5 consists, for example, of a printed circuit,the tracks of which define the said conductors 3, 9 of the controldevice in accordance with the invention.

According to a first embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 1, the said printedcircuit is rigid. The support means 5 and the elements which are fixedto it are then mounted in the same plane, if appropriate.

According to another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 2, the said printedcircuit is designed to be flexible. It is then stiffened locally, ifappropriate, in the region of the location of the said drive meansand/or actuators 2 which, as explained later, could also be fixed to thesaid support means 5.

According to another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 3, the said printedcircuit is designed to be flexible and is partially overmoulded onto asupport 10, especially of plastic, in such a way as to leave theextremities of the said circuit, which are intended for connection,partially free. The connection of the said drive means 1 and of the saidprinted circuit is formed through the said support 10. Thus anessentially rigid solution is made available.

As already stated, the said support means 5, if appropriate, furthermoreaccommodates the said actuators 2 themselves. To do that, the saidprinted circuit or the said support 10 supports the said actuators 2,which are designed to be fixed to this support in the vicinity of theirdrive means 1.

More precisely, the said printed circuit supports the step-down gearsand/or the motors constituting the said actuators.

According to a first embodiment, the step-down gears of the actuatorsare mounted on the rigid parts, printed circuit 5 or support 10, suchthat the individual casings usually used for the actuators are no longernecessary. A single casing 5 a can act as protection.

According to another embodiment, the motors of the actuators areconnected directly to the printed circuit, which is designed to be atleast partially flexible, by soldering or otherwise.

The invention also relates to a heating, ventilating and/orair-conditioning device, especially for a vehicle, comprising such acontrol device.

The said heating, ventilating and/or air-conditioning device 4comprises, for example, a fan, a radiator and/or an evaporator betweenwhich the air to be treated flows in ducts between one or more airinlets and one or more air outlets.

Flaps 4 serve to route the air between the various ducts so as,especially, to modulate the quantity and/or the origin of the air to betreated or else the temperature and/or the output direction of thetreated air.

The fan, the radiator and/or the evaporator are arranged relatively withrespect to one another in such a way that the air, while it is beingtreated, follows a trajectory winding around a longitudinal axis of thedashboard for which the said heating, ventilating and/orair-conditioning device is intended.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the components 4, especially articulatedflaps, are provided in the region of a support fixture 12. The saidcontrol device, designed to be rigid, is then designed to be able, ifappropriate, to be clipped onto the said fixture 12, facing at least onepart of the said components 4. The motors arranged on the said supportmeans 5 and/or their actuating spindles 11 could be designed to passthrough the said support means 5, the step-down gears possiblyassociated with them then being provided face-to-face on a supportfixture 12 for the actuated member or members 4.

The actuating spindles 11 of the said motors 2 and/or the articulationspindles of the flaps, which extend them, are, for example,substantially parallel to each other and orthogonal to the said supportfixture 5.

Other elements could be supported by the printed circuit 5 ifappropriate, such as certain sensors for example (temperature probe).They could be connected to the conductors 3 of the network.

Naturally, other embodiments within the scope of the person skilled inthe art could have been envisaged without to any extent departing fromthe context of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle heating, ventilating, andair-conditioning device, comprising: plural air ducts; articulated flapsserving to route air in the plural air ducts; actuators operativelyconnected to the articulated flaps for controlling the flaps; anactuator control device comprising drive means (1) for driving theactuators (2), a set of conductors (3, 9) linked to the drive means, anda single support means (5) for physical support of at least some of thedrive means (1) and of the conductors (3, 9); and a fixture (12)supporting the actuator control device and the articulated flaps. 2.Device according to claim 1, in which the conductors (3) provided on thesupport means (5) define at least one network in which regulationinformation flows in a multiplexed form to the drive means (1). 3.Device according to claim 2, in which the information-circulationnetwork is designed to be able to be connected to the outside by asingle connection means (6) provided on the support means (5).
 4. Deviceaccording to claim 2, in which the network further comprises processingmeans (8) for establishing regulation information to be circulated onthe network, on the basis of input signals.
 5. Device according to claim3, in which at least some of the conductors (9) provided on the supportmeans (5) make it possible to supply power to all or some of the drivemeans (1).
 6. Device according to claim 5, in which the singleconnection means (6) is moreover designed to be able to make it possibleto link the supply conductors (9) to an external power-supply source orto another network.
 7. Device according to claim 5, in which each drivemeans (1) is connected to two said power-supply conductors (9) and toone conductor of the network, originating, directly or otherwise, fromthe connection means (6) or from the processing means (8).
 8. Deviceaccording to claim 1, in which the support means (5) comprises a printedcircuit, stiffened locally in the region of the location of the drivemeans (1) or of the actuators (2).
 9. Device according to claim 8, inwhich the printed circuit furthermore supports the actuators (2), whichare designed to be fixed to this circuit in the vicinity of their drivemeans (1).
 10. Device according to claim 1, in which the flaps featurearticulation spindles which are substantially parallel to each other andorthogonal to the support fixture.
 11. Heating, ventilating, andair-conditioning device, for a vehicle, comprising: various air ducts;an actuator control device for controlling actuators which areconfigured for actuating articulated flaps serving to route air in thevarious ducts; said actuator control device comprising drive means (1)for driving the actuators (2), a set of conductors (3, 9) linked to thedrive means, and a single support means (5) for physical support of atleast some of the drive means (1) and of the conductors (3, 9); and afixture which is designed to be able to support the actuator controldevice and the flaps.
 12. Device according to claim 11, in which theconductors (3) provided on the support means (5) define at least onenetwork in which regulation information flows in a multiplexed form tothe drive means (1).
 13. Device according to claim 12, in which theinformation-circulation network is designed to be able to be connectedto the outside by a single connection means (6) provided on the supportmeans (5).
 14. Device according to claim 13, in which the networkfurther comprises processing means (8) for establishing regulationinformation to be circulated on the network, on the basis of inputsignals.
 15. Device according to claim 14, in which at least some of theconductors (9) provided on the support means (5) make it possible tosupply power to all or some of the drive means (1).
 16. Device accordingto claim 15, in which the single connection means (6) is moreoverdesigned to be able to make it possible to link the supply conductors(9) to an external power-supply source or to another network.
 17. Deviceaccording to claim 15, in which each drive means (1) is connected to twopower-supply conductors (9) and to one conductor of the network,originating, directly or otherwise, from the connection means (6) orfrom the processing means (8).
 18. Device according to claim 11, inwhich the support means (5) comprises a printed circuit, stiffenedlocally in the region of the location of the drive means (1) or of theactuators (2).
 19. Device according to claim 18, in which the printedcircuit furthermore supports the actuators (2), which are designed to befixed to this circuit in the vicinity of their drive means (1). 20.Device according to claim 11, in which the flaps feature articulationspindles which are substantially parallel to each other and orthogonalto the support fixture.